


Love on the Rocks

by Sapphylicious



Category: Super Junior
Genre: M/M, alternate universe - host club, crying I legit had to look up the members because I couldn't remember all of them, it's been that long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-21
Updated: 2014-01-21
Packaged: 2018-01-09 12:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphylicious/pseuds/Sapphylicious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Honesty was not the best policy for hosts, and Sungmin thought he knew better than to look for love where he worked.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love on the Rocks

Rainy days were the worst.

Sungmin tugged the hood of his coat further over his head as the wind picked up. Raindrops spattered across his face, and he felt the tiny stinging pricks of sleet pelting his skin. Awful weather for going out, and it was a Monday evening. It was going to be a slow night at work. 

He heard shrieks from just beyond his peripheral vision, and turning he saw a pair of schoolgirls huddled together under a single pink umbrella like a cotton candy cloud amidst the gray concrete of streets and buildings. Another strong gust violently yanked the umbrella from their hands, much to their upset cries. Sungmin leapt for it, one foot splashing in the middle of a large puddle, hands leaving the warmth of his pockets to stretch out into the cold. He managed to grasp onto the smooth metal stem, and it slid through his fingers until stopped by the hooked handle at the end. After wrestling with the wind some more he passed it back to the girls.

"Here you go." He offered it with a smile despite the water soaking through his shoe, squelching as he moved. His head was also getting wet from his hood being swept back.

The girls' faces, with wet hair plastered to their cheeks and foreheads, were lit up with gratitude, but one of them pushed the plastic handle back into Sungmin's hands. "There's a store nearby, we'll just buy a new one. You can have this as a thank you."   
Her friend's expression melted into one of worry. "That's... That might be a little weird, because, the color..."

The first girl's mouth formed an 'o' of dismayed surprise. "That's true. I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking! I guess it would be embarrassing..."

"Well," Sungmin began, glancing up at the pastel dome shielding his head. Rain pattered upon it, drops rolling down the sides and dripping from the spokes. "If it's all right with you, then I don't mind. Maybe it suits me?" He let the slender bar rest on his shoulder and turned his face demurely, smile curving his lips.

There were twin giggles of delight. "It does, it does!"

Laughing like that, they parted. Sungmin watched them go with their arms linked together, uniforms becoming soggy, and was a little relieved when they ducked into a building where it would be warm and dry. He tucked one hand into his pocket, the other one bearing the cold to grip the umbrella, and continued on. The walk from the subway station was a relatively short one, but both his lower pant legs were soaked through by the time he reached his destination. It was early yet, so the district was as bland as the rest of the city. The sign above the door he entered would be lit up after dark, elegant cursive letters glowing a pearly blue that read: _Angela's_.

Inside, Sungmin folded the umbrella and shook off the excess water. The place was only dimly lit and the main room was empty. He looked down at himself and grimaced; he had a spare set of clothes in the backroom, but his shoes weren't going to dry even in the entire hour he had set aside before the club opened. Maybe he could borrow someone else's—if they didn't have the same problem. Heechul was a sure bet, there was no way that man would slog through pouring rain unless he was making a statement.

Sungmin made his way to the back, slightly surprised when he didn't run into any of the other boys. Leeteuk at least tended to be the first to arrive and last to leave, although one of his customers had been hitting the bottle awfully hard the other night, and as a result Leeteuk had been drunker than usual.

He passed the offices belonging to the club's co-managers; Jungah's door was open and she looked up to wave in greeting, while Inyoung's was closed, though Sungmin could hear her distinct voice in the middle of a phone call on the other side.

The dressing room was in a slightly better state than it had been over the weekend in the midst of performances, so some generous soul (or unfortunate bastard) must have cleaned up a bit before going home. Sungmin found his spare suit pants and quickly changed, then unconscientiously rifled through everyone else's belongings for dry socks. They swapped accessories often enough, so why not socks? The sound of footsteps and a door opening made him pause as if guilty, but no one came in. Sungmin returned to his task and found a pair of black socks rolled up with a shirt that was probably Donghae's, but could have been Eunhyuk's. He hesitated at wearing something that might have once been on Eunhyuk's feet, but they appeared clean, regardless of to whom they belonged.

Feeling drier, and therefore a lot better, Sungmin plopped down in front of a mirror to see about his hair and makeup. Around then, others began showing up. Kangin and Leeteuk arrived together, equally cold and wet, and like Sungmin they immediately went for the spare clothes. Shiwon was next, looking unfairly good with his damp hair curling over his brow, at least until Kangin flung a towel at his face in disgust.

"So," Leeteuk said as he took a seat next to Sungmin. "Lousy weather today."

"I thought I'd save a little by not taking a cab," Sungmin confessed with a wry expression. "I'm reconsidering that now."

"At least we're still in business. It would be a pain to be job-hunting these days..."

Sungmin closed the makeup case and deliberately turned his whole body towards Leeteuk, all ears for the trailing implication of _something_ in the man's voice. "What's up?" Or down, as the case could be.

Leeteuk only smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting serenely. "Just a stray that Youngwoon and I found on the way here. We left him with Jungah and Inyoung."

An intriguing tidbit of information. He could pry for more, but why bother with a secondary source when the primary was a short walk away? Sungmin padded quietly down the hall. Inyoung's office was empty, and Jungah's door was open just a crack.

"We don't need new boys right now. Can't afford them," came Inyoung's unmistakable voice from within.

"It is a bit difficult to hire anyone at the moment," Jungah added in a gentler tone.

Sungmin lingered near the wall next to the door and recognized to their Good Cop/Bad Cop routine.

"I know. Believe me, I know." The third voice was low and accompanied by a brief chuckle that might have been nervous. Hard to tell without a visual.

"Well, look elsewhere, kiddo. Club Ivy down the block might take you." 

There was the sharp clack of a heel and Sungmin started to pull away when Jungah protested, "Oh, that place is _appalling_. We can't recommend anyone there, Inyoung. Maybe we can work something out. You know, he is handsome."

"Hn. He does have a fresh look..." 

Outside, Sungmin resisted the urge to lean over and sneak a peek at whomever the women were ogling.

"Yes, no complaints about appearance." Jungah's tone shifted from sweetness and conciliation to something more critical and focused. It was actually a good sign for the mystery guy if Jungah was taking this seriously. "Do you have any talents?"

"Singing. I've had some vocal training."

"Let's hear it."

"Is there a particular song you would prefer?"

There was a thoughtful pause during which Sungmin was sure the women were adding points in the guy's favor. "For me," said Jungah, "I'd like to hear A Whole New World. Could you sing that?"

He could and did, in a smooth, rich voice that filled each note to confident completion. _"I can show you the world,"_ and any girl being serenaded like that would believe it. Sungmin smiled to himself. Looked like Yesung and Ryeowook would have a new friend.

"Well," Inyoung said in the silence that followed. "Maybe you could pull in some money after all."

Jungah laughed and agreed. "Maybe. You look good, you sound good. The rest you'll probably pick up. I think we can give you a shot."

"The boys who can't learn drop out fast anyway."

"I understand. The only thing you can do in this business is climb to the top."

_Or struggle to stay afloat_ , Sungmin personally thought. Angela's wasn't as cutthroat as some clubs, but there was definitely no room for slacking, either. Everyone kept a careful eye on their ranking, and it was common knowledge that Heechul would someday claim the #1 spot from Shiwon or die trying.

"What's with the sneaking?" 

Sungmin nearly jumped out of his skin when someone suddenly jostled his shoulder. He spun and there was Heechul, speak of the devil, standing boldly in the strip of light cutting the floor from Jungah's office. One push and the door swung open. Heechul surveyed the room with a disdainful air, hand on his hip.

"Who's the kid?"

Sungmin also peered in, finally, and got his first look at the newcomer. Tall, thin—and handsome, yes, with a soft-looking full mouth and eyes wide with surprise. They were trained on Heechul of course, who was always the center of attention.

"This is the club's newest host," Jungah introduced with a pretty, white smile. She showed no ruffled feathers whereas Inyoung bristled with them.

"So rude," the other woman huffed. "It's a mystery how you get so many customers."

"It's a mystery how you fail to comprehend my charm," Heechul drawled, rolling his eyes expressively. "If that's all, then I'm off."

Sungmin knew that was his cue to sneak away as well, but he was already caught.

"Sungmin!" Jungah called, hands laced together beneath her chin and her smile somehow morphing into a Cheshire grin. "How convenient. Would it be any trouble for you to coach this kid tonight?"

"You seem to have some time on your hands," Inyoung added, her frown continuous as though Heechul had left a bad taste in her mouth.

"No trouble at all," Sungmin assured in host-mode, affecting a mildly sweet smile. It was best not to go overboard with older women. He reached out and took hold of the new guy by the crook of his arm. "Shall we go get started?"

"Um, just—" He fought Sungmin's grip stiffly to turn towards the managers and bow. "Thank you. I'll work hard."

Inyoung's arms were crossed and her scowl remained, but Jungah covered her mouth with a hand to muffle her laugh. "Please do, and anyway, welcome to Angela's."

#

"Not bad," Sungmin said, circling slowly around the new guy—Kyuhyun, age twenty, the newest and youngest host of the club. He was wearing a borrowed suit, and though it fit well enough, there was something off about the overall appearance. Sungmin worried at his lower lip. "Over here. Sit."

He almost added "good boy" when Kyuhyun did as told, holding back the condescending words with a self-aimed mental kick. What was wrong with him today? Sungmin had coached new guys before—frequently, in fact, because his friendliness put them at ease. He took a deep breath and stood behind Kyuhyun, both of them facing the mirror, and summoned a smile.

"Let's see here." His fingers combed through soft black hair that had probably never been touched by bleach. "Natural's a good look on you, but you should consider dying it to stand out."

"Like every other host in Seoul?" Kyuhyun's expression turned wry, making Sungmin's lips pull back in a more natural grin.

"There are ways to stand out. Trust your hyung." He ruffled Kyuhyun's hair teasingly and then set to work on it. There wasn't much time to experiment so Sungmin made do, going with what he instinctively thought to be the best style. Light makeup was applied next, and Sungmin couldn't help but wipe his thumb over a nonexistent smudge near Kyuhyun's pouting mouth.

Then: done. Hands off. Step back.

"What do you think? Next time you'll do it yourself."

Kyuhyun turned his face this way and that, observing his reflection. The effect was less of a transformation and more of a polishing; Sungmin preferred to coax things out rather than exaggerate them. "You're good at this," Kyuhyun said, and added a beat later, "hyung."

Sungmin rummaged through a drawer and found a slim cross on a silver chain. It could have belonged to any of them since all accessories left at the club were up for grabs (this policy incurred disaster only once when a gift from a customer was seen on another host, and the same mistake would not be made twice). He clasped the anonymous necklace around Kyuhyun's neck, then wondered about earrings. Instead of asking he slipped a hand to either side of Kyuhyun's head to feel for jewelry or holes in the ears. The unexpected contact of fingers against soft skin made the kid jump and grab at Sungmin's wrists. The visible parts of his ears (unadorned, coincidentally) had turned slightly pink.

"Sorry," Kyuhyun stuttered, and was suddenly confronted with Sungmin's sweetest smile. He hadn't learned what that meant yet, but he would soon.

"Sensitive spot?" He showed a hint of teeth and Kyuhyun was wise, holding fast to Sungmin's arms.

There was a rap upon the doorframe of the dressing room and Kangin's voice rose behind them. "The doors are opening. Don't deflower the new kid in here, we all have to share this room, you know."

Sungmin warmed up his pout. "How can you accuse me of such a thing? I would never fool around in the dressing room. We have a stage for that."

"Is there some sort of bizarre initiation rite that I'm unaware of?" Kyuhyun tilted his head to look up at Sungmin with laughing eyes.

"Oh, you have no idea." Sungmin reversed the grip of their hands and tugged Kyuhyun to his feet. "Total secrecy, humiliation, blood sacrifices—the works. If you're thinking about backing out, it's too late."

"I'll take my chances," Kyuhyun said with a glimmer of a smirk. Whatever had been off before was surely on now, whether it was thanks to the touches of hair styling or subtle makeup, or maybe the silver gleam visible at the open 'v' of his collar. Or even the way he spoke and held himself, more casual than before, more self-assured. He fit right in when they walked into the front room.

The floor was polished and spotless, marred by none of the water that had been tracked in by dozens of feet. Black leather sofas curved around tables, dark mirrors reflected rows of glass and crystal behind the bar, and flat screen TVs looped music videos on walls aglow with blue-tinted lights. Customers would start to trickle in within the hour, and until then the boys lounged or loitered without a care. Sungmin surveyed the attendance; everyone was here tonight, though only a few noticed or cared about the newcomer. Time to make nice with the co-workers.

"You basically know what to do, right?" Sungmin led him first to the bar where Hankyung automatically poured them two glasses of water.

"Flirting," Kyuhyun replied, glancing down at the water. "And drinking."

"Normally the new guy gets put on the street to pull in customers, but with the weather being as it is..." He didn't pretty Kyuhyun up for nothing. "Just stick with me for tonight."

"Three things," Hankyung added after listening in, holding up the corresponding number of fingers. His was a voice of experience, having seen plenty of amateurs come and go. "Hosts need three things: charm, patience, and observation."

"That's right." Sungmin grinned behind the curved rim of his glass. "What does the client want? You have to figure that out. Maybe she wants your opinion on the best shade of curtains that are going in her living room."

"Did someone really ask that?"

"Yes," Sungmin and Hankyung chorused together, remembering.

"Anything," the bartender added in his accented Korean. "They'll talk about anything. It can be curtains one minute, and then all of a sudden it's sex kinks."

Kyuhyun laughed at that, and it wasn't a nervous laugh. Good sign. 

"Be what they want," Sungmin said with a shrug. "That's the sum of it."

He thought to introduce Kyuhyun to Yesung and Ryeowook next, finding the pair seated at one of the tables.

"—and then I had to carry _that_ bag, too. I didn't know clothes could weigh so much! If she has the money to spend on all of that, she could spend some of it at the club. I asked her when she was coming to visit again but she gave me a bullshit evasive answer. I don't do free labor."

"It sounds like he just did," Kyuhyun muttered under his breath and Sungmin's smile widened.

"Tough customer, hyung?" He slid onto the black leather seat, pulling Kyuhyun down beside him. Ryeowook scooted over to make room and Yesung followed suit with a sour look.

"If she won't come, I can't afford to entertain her outside the club. That might be a blessing in disguise, though." Personally, Sungmin thought shopping was only a chore when you made it so, but he refrained from commenting. He had that argument with too many people, too many times, and now Yesung was giving Kyuhyun an interested stare. "Who's the new kid?"

Kyuhyun was starting to adopt an exasperatedly amused look whenever someone called him that.

Introductions were made, and the look in both Yesung's and Ryeowook's eyes went from curious to assessing the moment Sungmin mentioned a talent for singing. He only floated the possibility, and it was Ryeowook who met Kyuhyun's gaze and said, "We should see about doing something together, maybe for the weekend show. What do you think?"

"Sure," he said slowly, and Sungmin could practically see the wheels in his head turning, considering competition and inter-host dynamics. "Thank you."

They happily moved on—or Sungmin at least was happy about it. He'd done this with new guys before, making these rounds, giving off-the-cuff lessons, but most of them couldn't hold up. The hours were too demanding, the roles were too difficult to maintain, or it was too damn hard to remember which woman liked that obscure song from the 80's and which one recently divorced her husband. But Kyuhyun might manage. Sungmin rather hoped he would; there was something likeable about the kid.

A loud whoop off to the side caught their attention where some of the boys were gathered. Donghae was at the center of the crowd, laptop open in front of him. "Top three!" He twisted around in his seat to jab a finger at Kibum's chest. "How's _that?_ "

"Impressive," came the deadpan answer, which was ruined significantly by the slim hand that reached out to pinch his cheek.

"Don't be jealous," Heechul crooned while tugging, poking, and patting the other's face. "You have to work hard for that position."

"Yeah, how long have you been #2?" Kangin asked. "That's _only_ second place."

The older man sneered. "Says the man-child who dropped to the bottom of the list."

Shindong had to grab Kangin's arm while Leeteuk covered his mouth to avoid potential disaster.

Donghae was now enthusiastically mauling Eunhyuk, so Sungmin swiped the laptop and showed the screen to Kyuhyun. "Here's the list of hosts, the "man menu," if you will. Ranking gets updated every month." He himself placed in at #6, which was normal as he tended to float around mid-range.

Kyuhyun clicked on the screen to scroll down. There was Kangin's picture and profile at the bottom, a staggering fall from his previous spot. "What affects the ranking?"

"Money that gets spent at the club," Leeteuk answered. He kept a calm hand on Kangin's shoulder while leaning over to also get a look at the list. "That comes primarily from drinks, so unexpected things can happen. One of Kangin's regular clients, who was quite the drinker, moved overseas and that's why he's so sad."

"Who's sad?" Kangin's snarl made the people near him inch away—save for Leeteuk, who continued speaking.

"You also hear about women who come in and blow several thousand dollars on a particular host in one night. I assure you, that's rare, but theoretically it can happen."

"In other words, don't get your hopes up." Sungmin observed as Kyuhyun continued to scan the information on the website. His eyes flicked up towards Sungmin, held his gaze, then slid away again, all with a little half-smile playing on his lips.

"Don't worry," he said. "I—"

"Head's up," Shindong announced. The front doors were being swept open, bringing in their first customers of the night.

#

It was no surprise to Sungmin that Kyuhyun did well. He was determined to learn for one thing, and that was what usually tripped people up in the beginning. Too many of them thought they could coast for this job, feeding women generic lines from movies and dramas without paying attention to the individuals. A little bit of love—for a price—went a long way. Kyuhyun took to that notion without difficulty.

He didn't shift through acts, though, like Kibum. He didn't ooze charm out of his pores like Shiwon. A few missed cues and ripples of polite, tentative laughter cropped up on occasion the first week. Sungmin covered for him his debut night and then let him fend for himself every night afterward, waiting to see if he'd sink or swim. Things had been tenuous for a while, mostly on Thursday when he had to entertain a formidable woman who was well-acquainted with the ways of hosts. Kyuhyun had the most trouble with older women, falling back on cautious deference more than what many of the clients wanted. _He's young_ , Sungmin would remind himself, as if those two years made a world of difference. As if he himself hadn't been even younger and questionably legal when he started.

But by the second week Kyuhyun was hitting his stride. Rough edges were smoothed over, awkwardness replaced with polished poise. He knew how to make the most of his qualities; women liked his good looks, his low voice that was always pleased to grace them with a song, and his steady hands that held an exquisite silver lighter to their cigarettes. He bitched terribly about that last aspect after hours, though, and grew tight-lipped when Kangin or Yesung lit up around him. He never explained why—why he possessed such a valuable lighter if he disapproved so much, and why he would sometimes rub his thumb over the engraving on the side. Nervous habit, perhaps. The image resembled an angel, but when Sungmin commented on it Kyuhyun corrected him:

"It's not an angel, it's a siren."

"A siren?" Sungmin stared blankly at the figure of a woman with wings arching from her back. "I thought sirens were mermaids."

Kyuhyun laughed and reached over to ruffle Sungmin's hair—an annoying gesture, but Sungmin was accustomed to that sort of thing from his clients. "They are and they aren't. Look it up."

"You are such a brat." But he did look it up, and regardless of whether sirens had fish tails or bird wings, they always sang a song that lured sailors to their deaths. Sungmin decided not to mention it again.

Kyuhyun wore adulthood well, but he could grin like a kid when something prompted it. He blushed like a little boy when taken by surprise.

"Kissing," Sunny began, holding one of her fingers up and pausing with it there while she tried to find her point through an alcohol-induced haze. She worked at a hostess bar down the block and occasionally came by Angela's with her friends for pampering at the end of their own business hours.

"What about kissing?" Sungmin tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, smiling fondly. The hostess girls were still customers, but in a way they were also comrades.

Sooyoung made a disparaging noise from across the table. "I had this one customer tonight, some asshole, and he got disgustingly trashed. Grabbed my face and planted one before I knew what was coming." She snatched up her glass and took a long gulp as though to cleanse away the reminder. 

"Look at it this way," Kyuhyun remarked with a glint in his eye that Sungmin was starting to recognize. "It could have been worse. He could have puked on you after."

"Gross!" Sooyoung shoved him, but she was laughing. She had originally been one of Sungmin's regulars, but these days she was quite attached to Kyuhyun. Sungmin pouted about that, but the truth was he didn't really begrudge the switch. Sooyoung was a great girl and Kyuhyun knew how to treat her, and anyway it was interesting to watch. "What are you doing?" she asked when Kyuhyun ran a finger down her bare shoulder.

"Are you cold? You have goosebumps." Though that could have been because of the way he stroked her skin, and Sooyoung knew it.

"A little," she admitted loftily, and a smile made itself at home on her glossy lips when Kyuhyun removed his suit jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She pulled it snug around her, the white material overlapping her wine red cocktail dress nicely. All the boys were in white today in honor of March 14th (Leeteuk was even sporting a pair of fluffy wings for the occasion—it would have been utterly ridiculous if he hadn't been so good at what he did), and there was a special discount for all customers, both new and returning. It was pretty good as far as gifts went.

Sunny leaned against Sungmin and sighed.

"You all right?" His arm went around her.

"Mmhmm." She stuck a hand out, holding it up so the delicate charm bracelet she wore slipped down her wrist. "What do you think? Present from a client. He told me he'd exchange it for a kiss, then said that was a joke. Too bad, 'cause he was cute. I'd have kissed him."

"Sure," Sooyoung said, feigning a sulk. "You get to kiss the cute ones. I get the gross old men."

"But I didn't kiss him!"

"Oh, what am I even saying? I'm in a host club." Sooyoung spun to face Kyuhyun so fast her hair fanned out behind her, all wide eyes and flushed cheeks. "I'm pretty, aren't I? And I smell nice. And also I'm paying you, so can you kiss me? Please?"

Sungmin was half-collapsed on the table, holding a hand up to his face and muffling his laughter at Kyuhyun's deer-in-headlights expression. The shock didn't last long, but the determination that replaced it was almost just as funny. Then Kyuhyun's hand gently cradled the back of Sooyoung's head as he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a sweet, chaste kiss.

Sunny cupped both hands around her mouth. "Boo," she called in dissatisfaction. "Man up and give her a real kiss, newbie!"

All that did was make the two of them break apart, laughing. "Sunny!" Sooyoung protested, and Kyuhyun was red-faced. Sungmin reached across to pat his cheek, feeling the warmth of his blush and the corner of his mouth when Kyuhyun grinned sheepishly.

"I guess that means you have practicing to do," Sungmin said, withdrawing (a tad hastily) to the safety of his side of the table. "You can't disappoint the women."

Kyuhyun gave him that strange half-smile again, always fleeting. "I guess so."

#

Sungmin was very good at not drinking himself into a wretched state while doing his job, which was no small feat considering the nature of it, but sometimes there was no avoiding the nights when he became far too acquainted with the very-nice-but-not- _that_ -nice facilities of the club.

 _Think of the money you're making tonight. Think of your ranking. Sacrifices must be made._ But as Sungmin revisited the contents of his stomach in the restroom (an event that he'd have been perfectly happy to bypass), he instantly changed his tune. _Oh my god, I don't need the money, fuck the ranking, I can't sacrifice my liver because I'm still kind of using it._

Not that he would seriously contemplate leaving Angela's because he enjoyed being a host, and the lifestyle wasn't outrageously harsh on him, but the thought was a comforting one while his forehead rested against the smooth toilet seat.

Kyuhyun was waiting for him when he finally stumbled out of the restroom. Sungmin planned to just say hi as he returned to the main room, but Alcohol and its good friend, Impaired Balance, had other ideas.

"Mmf," Sungmin said into Kyuhyun's chest, nose pressed against his shirt. Kyuhyun smelled like a mixture of his cologne and various, confusing perfumes that made Sungmin feel dizzy and sort of ill again. He pushed away from Kyuhyun so he wouldn't end up hurling on the kid in a worst case scenario.

"Hyung." Kyuhyun stubbornly reached out to steady him. Kyuhyun wasn't sober either by any means, but he did seem to have an acceptable tolerance. Better than Sungmin's at least. The fact wasn't a big deal or anything except when Sungmin was drunk and stupid, and therefore might be inclined to do drunk and stupid things.

"I'm fine. I need to head back. I sure hope you didn't leave any clients alone in there."

A wry smile twitched on Kyuhyun's mouth. "And face your lecture? I'm free at the moment and so are you. Heechul and Kibum are entertaining your group."

"Ah. Well, then I'm—"

"You should go home."

Sungmin did his best to glare, but it was difficult to manage when nothing would focus. "This is typical. I mean— You know what I mean. I'm not leaving."

"Yeah, but... Hyung," Kyuhyun objected, holding fast to Sungmin's arm.

He rolled his eyes where Kyuhyun couldn't see, then turned to face him with a disarming smile. "It's okay, I'm a cute drunk so I'm still charming. I'll last the night." Maybe he'd get lucky and find a woman who wanted nothing more than for him to lay his head in her lap and let her coddle him. Ryeowook tended to attract those types.

Kyuhyun refrained from arguing further, though by his expression he was unhappy about it. Sungmin set his mouth in a firm line and headed back to do his job. The kid was still new after all.

There was only one more hour until closing, anyway, and from the looks of things Sungmin wasn't alone in his abnormally high BAC. Yesung was swaying like crazy while he stood for karaoke, though his pitch didn't wander too far off. That was talent for you. Ryeowook really did have his head pillowed upon one woman's lap, curled up on the sofa while she petted his hair, and Shiwon could be seen (and heard) at the bar, laughing too loudly and too often at the offhand remarks Hankyung exchanged with a patron.

It was just one of those nights, and the remaining hour dwindled down to a dark club and people leaving in all sorts of impaired states. Kangin was actually carrying Leeteuk piggyback through the doors. 

"Hyung, wait." Unlike before, this time Sungmin didn't mind when Kyuhyun grabbed hold of his arm. The dizzy spin made his stomach flop, but not unpleasantly. "Let's take a cab."

"Well..." he wheedled, mostly to see if Kyuhyun would insist. 

He did.

"You're paying, right?" Sungmin asked, smiling with his eyes closed as he leaned on Kyuhyun in the backseat.

"You're an awful hyung," Kyuhyun replied. "Making your dongsaeng pay." But despite complaining, his hand gently ruffled Sungmin's hair, and Sungmin was too lethargic to do anything but let his cheek rest on Kyuhyun's shoulder.

He was still rather inebriated by the time they reached his apartment, so he wound up tugging Kyuhyun along with him. "You can stay here tonight." 

This probably fell under the Drunk and Stupid category, and the heading was self-explanatory. Sungmin managed to behave himself for the most part, too focused on important things like finding the right key and not tripping over his own feet. The floor didn't spin, exactly, but it wobbled and lurched more than it was supposed to. Kyuhyun's arm around him was probably the only reason Sungmin didn't fall over.

"Lightweight," he laughed in Sungmin's ear, and Sungmin curled an arm around Kyuhyun's neck to hold himself up.

Their faces were startlingly close. "Cocky brat," Sungmin muttered, looking away in flushed haste.

Finding the motivation, let alone the coordination, to get undressed was an enormous chore. Sungmin got as far as pulling his already loose tie over his head and shrugging out of his jacket before it felt like too much effort to continue. The pair of hands that took over unbuttoning his shirt provided the first burst of clarity that Sungmin had experienced all night.

This was such a bad idea. It was a bad idea on multiple levels. Don't get involved with another host. Don't get involved with a friend. Complications piled upon one another, and hadn't he seen enough examples of those in this line of business?

Sungmin found himself shirtless all of a sudden, but Kyuhyun's presence and warmth were strangely absent. "Kyu—" Something soft hit him in the face, the surprise of the light impact nearly knocking him over. He reached up and pulled back the pajamas that Kyuhyun had found in his dresser and so thoughtfully thrown his way.

The insolent kid was snickering at him. "You are unbelievable. I can borrow something to sleep in, right?"

"...Right," Sungmin said, feeling fuzzy-headed again. Somehow he managed to regain enough motor control to change into the sleepwear, and by the time he finished Kyuhyun (looking only slightly ridiculous in the too small shirt and pants) was pulling the covers back on the bed.

"Um," Kyuhyun began, for once uncertain. "You have a couch out there, so..."

"Shut up and get in." Drunk and Stupid Thing #2, but maybe it didn't matter. He was so tired, all he thought was that the extra warmth was kind of nice and if he let his head rest right there, he could faintly hear the steady beat of Kyuhyun's heart.

Long, firm fingers shifted through his hair, pushing his bangs back, and there was a press of gentle lips to his forehead. Just a chaste kiss. He recalled— _"Give her a real kiss, newbie!"_ Sungmin's eyes fluttered open instead of drifting shut and the laugh bubbled out of him.

"Sungmin?" Kyuhyun murmured in that voice of his, husky soft and intimately close. Sungmin thought his name should be on those lips more often.

It was no effort at all to push himself up a little and meet Kyuhyun's eyes in the dark, unwavering this time, their noses almost touching. There was a hitch in breath (his own or not?), and Sungmin said simply, "Practice, Kyuhyunnie."

Drunk and Stupid Thing #3 never properly registered, perhaps because it had to cover so much ground. Sungmin shouldn't have buried his hands in Kyuhyun's fine hair, brushing against his ears and making him squirm. He shouldn't have pressed so close, chest to chest, wondering if that pounding came from within his own body or the other one he melded against. He really shouldn't have kissed him.

In all honesty, it couldn't have been that great of a kiss. Drunk kisses generally weren't. But Kyuhyun's mouth responded to his, for some reason or another, and when his lips parted slightly he gasped, a breath in the space between them.

#

When Sungmin woke up the next morning he immediately wished he hadn't. Shards of light through the open window blinds felt like they were splitting his skull and it was all he could do to roll over and bury his face in his pillow. Breathing was negligible. In fact, death might be better.

"Hyung." There was a hand on his shoulder, large and warm. Fortunately it didn't shake him. Sungmin didn't want to move anytime soon, perhaps not ever. "Hyung, drink this."

Sungmin made a garbled noise in response that was supposed to contain the sentiment of, "shut up, go away, let me die in peace," but it could also be interpreted as, "oh my god, help me." Further gentle prompting got him to crack his eyes open and eventually sit up. The curved rim of a glass pressed down on his lip and he swallowed the cool water that trickled in, wetting his parched throat. It only marginally alleviated the repulsive taste in his mouth, and he also probably had the most unattractive, bloodshot, baggy eyes. All of a sudden Sungmin wanted bury himself beneath the covers again.

"Ugh." He pushed the glass away and rubbed his hands over his face. "I must look as awful as I feel."

Kyuhyun laughed quietly. "Don't worry, you're cute even when you're hungover."

"Yay," Sungmin deadpanned, letting his hands fall into his lap and he got his first good look at Kyuhyun since waking. He had actually never seen the kid in the daylight before. Not that there was much difference—his hair was messier and his clothes from yesterday were rumpled. He was still good-looking, though, so it didn't really matter, and maybe he appeared a little more boyish in natural sunlight than he did under the sleek club lights. 

Kyuhyun's mouth quirked in a weird, uncertain smile, that straightened out when he cleared his throat. "So, last night..."

Last night— _oh, shit._ Sungmin's heart sunk straight through the bottom of the bed. He had a hazy recollection of it; his weight leaning on Kyuhyun in the elevator, Kyuhyun joining him in bed, kissing Kyuhyun—which, at the time, had seemed like a perfectly acceptable thing to do—and that felt like it had gone on for a while but maybe he only imagined it did. Counterpoint to the repetition of _stupidstupidstupid_ going through Sungmin's head, it couldn't have scared Kyuhyun off that much if he was still here. Maybe. Hopefully.

Sungmin took a deep breath and grinned weakly. "I was _really_ drunk last night, huh? That doesn't usually happen. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Kyuhyun said, sounding relieved, and that should have relieved Sungmin, too, but for some reason he felt the opposite.

"Still," he continued on automatic, every word feeling tighter than the last, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to— Well, I was drunk. I do that a lot when I'm drunk." Except that wasn't true and Sungmin had better stop while he was ahead.

"Don't worry about it." Kyuhyun reached out—did he hesitate a little?—and covered Sungmin's hand with his own. On reflex Sungmin twisted his hand palm up to grab hold, but Kyuhyun was already pulling away with a slide of fingers. "Anyway, I should go. I'll see you at work tonight."

Sungmin nodded in mute agreement. At work. Always at work. Hosts rarely had time for socializing outside of business—if they weren't entertaining in the club they were on paid dates with their clients. There was no time for a real relationship even if they wanted one. It simply wasn't feasible.

Kyuhyun paused outside the bedroom, lingering just within view to toss back a glance at the half-empty glass of water left on the table. "Make sure you drink the rest of that," he reminded before leaving, and Sungmin listened until he heard the front door open and shut.

"It's for the best," he told himself, but the weight that had settled in his gut wasn't convinced.

#

"Your boy is all grown up," Leeteuk remarked one night, making Sungmin lift his eyes from the text message he was composing and seeking out Kyuhyun at one of the other tables. It was easy to find him in a crowd, mostly because Sungmin kept an eye on him out of habit. He didn't need to anymore. He didn't even want to, sometimes. The awareness twisted him up too much like he'd known it would. "Your boy," Leeteuk had said, and maybe it had been sort of like that in the beginning, cute and playful, mostly safe.

Sungmin shrugged in response to the observation and returned his attention to his cell phone, pretending to care about the standard 'had a great time, love you, miss you, come see me again' message that hosts showered their patrons with. The women liked the reassurance and the hosts liked returning customers. Strip away the glamour and it all came down to business: _yes, please come again and spend hundreds of dollars at the club, thank you._

He stopped and reread his bland message. He couldn't really be that apathetic about his job. Sungmin erased it and started over, making liberal use of emoticons. It was expected from him.

_Oh, forget it._ He set the whole thing aside for later and slouched back into the sofa with a heavy sigh.

Leeteuk raised a fine brow at him but refrained from commenting directly. Instead he took hold of his laptop and turned it so Sungmin could see the screen. "This month's update."

Sungmin quickly skimmed the list. No drastic surprises—Kangin was climbing back up (with sheer stubbornness alone, it seemed), Donghae fell from the top three (no one had expected him to maintain interest in the position anyway), and Kyuhyun placed fifth, a few steps ahead of Sungmin's #7.

The corners of his mouth fought and climbed upwards in a slight smile. "Is this what they call the student surpassing the master?"

"I don't know," Leeteuk said lightly. "I think you and he have very different approaches, so I wouldn't be inclined to compare."

Sungmin actually didn't care at all, but he pouted for effect even if Leeteuk would see through it. He had appearances to maintain. Leeteuk gave him an indulging smile and that was expected. His words weren't.

"Sungmin, are you okay?"

He blinked. "I'm..."

Over Leeteuk's shoulder he could see the group at the table and hear the jumbled noise of their chatter. He easily picked up Kyuhyun's voice, his laugh, that exact pitch that wrapped a string around his heart and gave a tug. Just a twinge. He could almost ignore it completely but it was like pricking a finger with a very fine needle—he barely felt it at first, but after too many times the whole area got sore.

Sungmin dragged his eyes away from the party at the table and focused instead on Leeteuk's hands, folded delicately upon one another. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. Here, or...?"

Sungmin looked around. No one was paying attention to their corner, either busy with a customer or occupying themselves with something else. Kangin was with a young woman at the bar, talking animatedly and laying a free hand upon her shoulder, fingers sliding smoothly through her curls.

"Here is fine," he assured quickly, averting his gaze again with guilt seeping into the pit of his stomach. It made him want to squirm uncomfortably in his seat, but he'd already opened his mouth and he needed...something. "I know that— That is, don't you get jealous? Doing what we do and all."

Leeteuk's laugh was fluttery and embarrassed. That made two of them. This was a conversation that probably would have been more suitable later on in the evening when they'd imbibed more alcohol. "You mean— Well, yes, in a word. I do get jealous. A lot." He glanced across to the bar and his lips twisted in a smile, bitterness tempered with affection.

Sungmin was fairly sure he could tell—everybody could tell—when Leeteuk was more than a little jealous, as it tended to manifest in a spectacularly black mood. "How do you deal with that?"

"Poorly." Well, at least he admitted it. Humor fading, the crooked lines of Leeteuk's mouth softened into a more docile smile. "If you want a real answer... I suppose I just believe him when he tells me he loves me."

The words may as well have been in Greek for all that Sungmin could understand them. "You have a lot of faith in him," was the only thing he could conclude. 'I love you's were cheap and common in places like this, for people like them, little paper cut-out hearts that could be tossed around with a mere breath.

"Faith is what it usually comes down to. And honesty. And respect. I could keep throwing words out and they'd all apply." Leeteuk's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Sorry. I guess I don't have a good answer after all."

"Yeah, well. Thanks anyway."

"One thing, though." He waited until Sungmin looked him in the eye. "What I said before about comparing things that are different—this is the same. So even if I told you it was worth it..."

Sungmin looked away, acknowledging. He knew it was different and there was no use in asking, it was dumb to try and find an easy answer from one of Angela's dysfunctional pseudo-couples. He was looking for normalcy where there was none.

_Besides,_ Sungmin thought, staring down at his phone again and retyping his message for the second time, _it's not like he's mine. What right do I have when he isn't even mine?_

If he could just wait it out, things would return to the way they were. More or less. He'd have to live with the small changes, like the way Kyuhyun didn't offer that shy smile around him anymore. But for the better. Yes, that was for the better.

#

"My bracelet," Sunny babbled through the phone. "The White Day gift. I have a date with that client tomorrow but I can't find the bracelet! I think I might have left it at the hotel last night so it's as good as gone by now. What am I going to do?"

"You never know," Sungmin said, sprawled out lazily on his couch during a rare evening off. "You could ask if anyone working there found it."

"Fat chance." He could picture her pouting on the other end, fingers twisting a curl of hair anxiously. "It was expensive. Some maid probably stole it."

"Sunny," he chided gently. "What kind of attitude is that?"

"A realistic one? Okay, okay, you have a point. I'm being cynical. You're right, it's worth a try."

Sungmin smiled. "That's my girl."

He went to accompany her—for no real reason aside from the fact that she was a friend, and he wasn't busy, anyway. In retrospect, it might have been better if he had stayed at home.

"Excuse me..." Sunny began as she approached the front desk and explained her request. "It's really important," she mentioned, and desk clerk glanced meaningfully at Sungmin. 

He suppressed a grin of amusement. Whatever idea the woman was entertaining, it was probably entirely wrong. He could set her straight, but where was the fun in that?

As it turned out, there was little fun to be had anywhere for any reason.

Sungmin just happened to catch sight of the reflection in the mirror on the wall. The familiar figure, more casually dressed but still unmistakable. Before Sungmin could look away, or turn around, or do anything, their gazes met and locked.

Kyuhyun hesitated, turned away as if to ignore him, and then stopped completely. He bent to say something to the woman by his side. She nodded and placed a kiss upon his cheek, a succinct farewell, and then her heels clicked smartly on her way towards the front doors. Sungmin envied her confident stride, he himself approaching Kyuhyun's lone figure with reluctance and suspicion clenched in his fists as he was drawn in.

"She didn't look like any of your regulars," he began without preamble, looking straight ahead to show just how much he didn't want to have this conversation, because no matter what option it couldn't end well. He didn't want to see if Kyuhyun looked guilty, either.

"She wasn't," Kyuhyun admitted. He certainly didn't _sound_ guilty.

"Girlfriend?" Sungmin wished it was and hated himself for it.

Kyuhyun shook his head—Sungmin caught the small action from the corner of his eye before he shut both of them, breathing deep.

"Did she pay y—"

"Hyung," he interrupted, and something in his tone, the insincerity, startled Sungmin, sharpened him, his mouth thinning into a firm line when he saw Kyuhyun's expression—somewhat contrite, but mostly annoyed. "It really isn't any of your business."

"I think it is," he countered. He could dig his heels in this way, the stubborn part of him easily winning over the part that wanted to slink away. 

Kyuhyun was the one who lowered his gaze this time. "Oh, really?" He muttered quietly under his breath, but perfectly audible. Silver flashed between his long fingers from the lighter he'd drawn out of his pocket. The usual nervous tic.

"If Jungah and Inyoung found out, your ass would be grass. Remember you work for the club." The words came easily now. Sungmin knew all the correct things to say, the necessary admonishments to make—and he knew what shouldn't be said, swallowing those troublesome stray words before they came close to being voiced.

"Is that what this is about?" The lighter made a metallic click when the lid closed with a swift flick of Kyuhyun's thumb. His knuckles were white, and the engraved image was partially obscured.

_Yes_ , Sungmin wanted to say in absolute truth, but he couldn't with Kyuhyun looking at him like that, like he knew him so well and maybe that was the problem. The younger man was the first to break eye contact with his mouth twisting in part grimace and part smirk, painfully combined. His grip relaxed and he flipped the lighter once in the air, catching it as it came down, then walking away. Sungmin hardly dared to breathe until he was gone.

#

If anybody noticed that Sungmin and Kyuhyun weren't talking, they didn't say a word about it, or at least not where Sungmin could hear them. Well, let them gossip in private, it didn't matter—although his chest tightened when he wondered exactly what might be said, what they knew. If the managers found out...

Sungmin clinked his glass with his client's, smiled and made a comment on cue, barely tasting the wine as it slid smoothly over his tongue. The faraway look in his eyes could have been mistaken for mild drunkenness. He made out Kyuhyun's form at the opposite table; he was entertaining a new woman, conferring with her in secret whispers and low laughter. If he cared that Sungmin could get him fired, he wasn't showing any sign of distress.

A sigh escaped from Sungmin's lips, fortunately going unnoticed by the others at his table. He wasn't going to say anything to Jungah and Inyoung about it, anyway. Part of it was because he wasn't certain—maybe he had jumped to conclusions at the hotel, maybe Kyuhyun had lied about not having a girlfriend, maybe there was something else—but as inundated with 'maybe's as he was, the bottom line was that hosts at Angela's didn't tattle on each other. Their competition wasn't that nasty and they could be juvenile in other ways. Heechul slinking into view and onto the black leather seat was a prime example.

"Hi," he said, cozying up to Sungmin with alarmingly innocent eyes and long fingers grasping his shoulder. Sungmin smiled reflexively in turn, wondering what he had done to be singled out this evening, or who Heechul was trying to make jealous. He wasn't normally Heechul's first pick for flirtation.

"Sungmin, I need a favor." The fact that he was _asking_ was an unprecedented event, but Heechul's smile was telling; whenever he tried for sweet it resulted instead in being downright evil. Sungmin didn't have time to reply before a hand cupped his chin and Heechul's face tilted towards his. A few gasps went around the table as their lips touched, some shocked and others delighted, or a combination of both, and Sungmin let his shoulders slump in resignation to the kiss. He tried not to roll his eyes afterward when Heechul patted his cheek.

"Who was that for?" Sungmin leaned over to ask _sotto voce_ , scanning the club for a reaction. Shiwon was absorbed with his clients, and Hankyung only sent him a sympathetic glance.

Heechul settled back against the sofa and swirled his glass of red wine, smugly content. "My own entertainment, of course."

"Of course," Sungmin mocked.

The corners of Heechul's mouth hooked dangerously. "What's your boytoy been up to lately?"

_Really_ , Sungmin thought in annoyance, _does he have to bring it up in front of customers?_ Smoothing the crease that formed on his brow, he said, "I'm not his chaperone. He's all grown up now." Certainly no longer the new kid who blushed when a girl asked for a kiss.

"Yeah, I can see that." Heechul snickered. "Or rather, I can't."

Sungmin reluctantly took the bait and looked around. Kyuhyun and his client were nowhere in sight, and it was days before Sungmin saw him again.

#

The look of unguarded surprise on Kyuhyun's face when Sungmin showed up at his apartment one morning was more gratifying than expected. It had been a while since they'd exchanged words or even expressions that weren't sneaking, searching glances.

"Come in," Kyuhyun said after an uncertain heartbeat, and Sungmin stepped across the threshold with mirrored hesitation.

The first thing that fell out of his mouth was, "Are you okay?"

Kyuhyun blinked at him.

"I mean, you've been gone for a few days so I wondered..." Sungmin wisely stopped himself from voicing those particular thoughts. Wariness was already starting to harden Kyuhyun's features.

"I'm fine," he answered shortly.

Sungmin didn't come all this way for nothing. He persisted: "Then why aren't you working?"

"Who says I'm not?" Kyuhyun crossed his arms and met Sungmin's eyes with a challenge that made him take an involuntary step back. "That's what you want to know, right? Fine. It's what you're thinking. You can report back to the managers or whatever now."

"You asshole," Sungmin bit out, feeling his nails dig into his palms. "I'm not going to rat you out no matter how much you deserve it."

"Then what are you doing here?" 

"Why are you doing this?" Sungmin countered.

Kyuhyun shrugged as though it were obvious. "It pays well. More profit for less effort."

"That can't be the only reason. I know you—"

"No, Sungmin, you don't know." Kyuhyun's shoulders were tense with resentment but his voice held a trace of weariness. He armored the weakness with scathing accusations. "It's not that much different from what we do at the club. I'm paid for service, and at least this way there's less bullshit. You think you're being honest with the women, but you're just really good at faking it."

"And you," Sungmin started, stopped, dragged in a breath and deflected. "You think whoring yourself out is more _honest_?"

"Prove me wrong. Show me. Tell me." He demanded and pleaded at the same time, and this wasn't all about work anymore, but Sungmin couldn't be honest because he couldn't be that certain, or that brave, on uncharted land.

"Stop messing around," he said slowly and haltingly, as close to the truth as he could get. "You're better than that. I do know that much."

"It's obviously not enough." Kyuhyun turned his back on him for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"No, wait," Sungmin found himself saying, riding on a wave of panic. "I—" But when Kyuhyun looked at him with expectant eyes, everything came to a crashing halt.

"I don't do things halfway," Kyuhyun said after waiting in vain. "You need to make up your mind."

* * * * *

Kyuhyun still didn't show up at the club that night, or the night after that. Inyoung was spitting fire and disapproval dulled Jungah's smile when she questioned the boys, but she didn't hound them, probably knowing how unlikely she was to extract an answer. Sungmin continued to feign ignorance, and contrary to what Kyuhyun had said, it seemed that he didn't need to come to any decision himself. Kyuhyun's extended absence was enough.

"I never knew before that I was such a coward," Sungmin mused aloud, more indifferent than incredulous. He'd had a few days to get used to the idea.

Eunhyuk happened to be the unfortunate listener to this talk, and he feebly tried, "You aren't, really. I don't think so."

"No, I totally am." He sighed and propped his elbows up on the table, chin in his hands. "But that's okay." Acceptance came easily after all the practice he'd gotten. Sungmin felt the muscles in his face pull in a smile, and was grateful when Eunhyuk offered him a one-armed hug.

The fleeting comfort was dampened by Heechul's presence as the young man graced their table with a too-wide grin. "Who's up for a game? I've always loved mysteries, myself; there's nothing more satisfying than outsmarting everyone else. Let's play _Where's the Magnae?_ "

"Hyung..." Sungmin warned.

"They might hear you!" Eunhyuk hissed, flapping his hands in the direction of Inyoung and Jungah—who were, indeed, watching them suspiciously.

"You wound me," Heechul lamented without sounding very wounded. "I wouldn't snitch on the kid. Why, I don't even know if there's anything to snitch about!"

"I have nothing to tell you," Sungmin said, stubbornly placid, then made as though to leave.

"I see. Well, if you're going to be like that, maybe I'll cut out the middle man and ask him myself." When Sungmin dared to shoot him a glance, Heechul smirked. "Look who deigned to set foot in our club."

Sungmin was stricken for a moment, part dreading and part hopeful, when he swung his gaze towards the entrance and saw Kyuhyun being immediately ushered towards the back, no doubt in for quite the scolding. He might even be fired, and that thought did a good job of twisting up Sungmin's insides. _Good_ , he decided somewhere amid the tangle, grabbing hold of that conviction like a lifeline. Good, because that would solve everything, and he could finally stop—

He didn't mean to catch Kyuhyun's eye, even if for an instant, though he'd been staring enough that it brought a stab of guilt. Then Kyuhyun's gaze dragged away from him and there was only his back, so straight and resolute, within his sights and staying there as Sungmin followed without consciously meaning to do so.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Inyoung demanded in a voice edged like a blade, striking sharp through the air before the closing of the office door.

Sungmin hovered outside, half trying to concentrate on the conversation within and half trying to quiet the thundering of his heart. He felt faint from the effort. What was he even doing here, eavesdropping, nurturing this fearful curiosity? He'd better go back. He was supposed to be working. He couldn't hear anything but for Inyoung's outbursts, anyway, and it wasn't supposed to matter. He'd been doing so well with holding back.

He saw his hand reach for the doorknob, not quite believing it, and then his fingers were tightening and his wrist turning and the door clicked open, abruptly halting the flow of words inside.

"Sungmin," Jungah said with a look of mild surprise.

"You're interrupting," Inyoung added with menace.

Kyuhyun said nothing, and even his face was unreadable.

"Sorry," Sungmin apologized automatically. He was still gripping the door; he could fumble some sort of excuse and then close it, leaving. "I was just..."

"Get out," Inyoung snapped while Jungah nodded in gentle, but firm accordance.

"Not right now, Sungmin."

He ducked his head. Yes, fine. He would go, but not before looking apprehensively to Kyuhyun and asking in a small voice, "Are you okay?"

A muscle twitched in Kyuhyun's jaw and he shifted just slightly, eyes flickering in a subtle sign: 'what do you think?' He looked tired, face pale and eyes bruised with dark circles. Was he skinnier than usual? Sungmin tried to remember how he looked a few days ago aside from surprised and angry and hopelessly frustrated. For some reason he remembered something else, another time, that awful hung-over morning and the way Kyuhyun spoke and trusted and teased him.

Unbidden, Sungmin raised a hand to Kyuhyun's face, brushing aside curls of hair to press against a clammy forehead. "You— You're feverish," he stuttered. His hand was knocked away but he persisted, "What are you doing? You're sick."

"Shut up," Kyuhyun said tightly under his breath.

"Well," Jungah's voice rang out, clearing the air. She leveled them both with a look that was weighed with finality. "Kyuhyun, you're not going to be of any use tonight. Go home and rest, but return here tomorrow, _early_ , and we'll continue this discussion then."

"Wasting our time like this..." Inyoung scoffed, but didn't countermand Jungah's decision.

"Sorry for all the trouble," Kyuhyun murmured. Sungmin couldn't tell if it was relief or exhaustion that colored his tone.

"Sungmin," Jungah began, but that was all she got out before he cut in.

"I'll take him home," he offered. Or, well, he assumed. Inyoung sent him the most withering look.

"With whose permission?"

"It's fine," Kyuhyun and Jungah said at the same time; the former blinking in surprise and the latter smiling wryly. 

"It's fine," she repeated. "Sungmin, he's your responsibility again."

Sungmin didn't think he was altogether pleased about that, and judging by Kyuhyun's expression, neither was he—but he'd gotten this far already. He might as well go with it.

#

It was his second time visiting Kyuhyun's apartment, but that first time, before, he hadn't exactly made it far inside, nor had the presence of mind to take in his surroundings. He hadn't noticed then that the place was fairly neat and clean, largely owing to the sparse furnishing, and Sungmin had never asked whether Kyuhyun was new to the city or not. He didn't know how the kid lived outside of the club, though he'd pretended to make it his business. The guilt that still hung in his stomach sunk in a little deeper.

"Thanks," Kyuhyun said gruffly, the first word he'd spoken to Sungmin since leaving Angela's.

"What were you thinking, coming in sick?" Sungmin couldn't help but ask, taking off his coat and folding it over a chair. He hadn't been invited to stay, but he realized that he planned to, regardless.

Kyuhyun took note of the action with something akin to resignation. He snorted softly. "Weren't you the one nagging me about work?"

"I thought you were quitting," he said, and inwardly reeled. Kyuhyun had _listened_ to him that last time? Or was he just cleverly avoiding something else?

Kyuhyun's shoulders visibly slumped and his eyes had fallen shut. "M'tired," he mumbled, certainly looking it. The fatigue made him look younger and softer than he had in weeks.

"Go lie down," Sungmin urged, voice naturally becoming gentle. "Do you need anything?"

Kyuhyun gazed off somewhere to the side for a while, then shook his head no.

"Then get some rest."

He expected Kyuhyun to disappear into his room, so Sungmin stared when all he did was curl up on the couch. He stopped himself from saying anything when Kyuhyun simply breathed deeply and laid there, quiet, cheek pressing against the arm and hair falling over his eyes. Well, if that suited him... Sungmin explored until he found a closet with a spare blanket, spreading it out over Kyuhyun's form. His fingers brushed over his face, ostensibly to check his temperature: still warm. Stupid boy, expecting to work like that. So he wasn't quitting after all. Jungah and Inyoung could still fire him tomorrow, though.

They wouldn't find out until then. Sungmin drew away, sitting on the floor with his back to the couch and Kyuhyun's soft breathing behind him. Not quitting, huh. Kyuhyun wanted to stay. That was good, wasn't it? He'd regain his popularity for sure, stealing more of Sungmin's clients, putting on spectacular shows with Yesung and Ryeowook, talking with Sungmin again, smiling at him.

Well, maybe. And Sungmin wanted that, didn't he? The thought of Kyuhyun smiling and laughing with him again made something quiver inside, a more pleasant shiver than the sick roiling that he'd felt lately.

But there was no use thinking about such things until tomorrow. Sungmin stretched out his limbs—he'd folded his legs and had been hugging them without knowing—and he took another look around the room. There was a TV and DVD player, and on a shelf next to them was an Xbox 360 and array of games. Sungmin wouldn't have hesitated to make use of any of those if Kyuhyun wasn't sleeping right behind him.

The windows were partially obscured by hideously-patterned curtains—and actually, Sungmin now noticed that none of the décor seemed to match. He huffed out a sigh that was more of an airy chuckle.

Something else caught his attention from his sweep across the room: a clear-lidded square box sitting on top of a table. Sungmin got up to inspect, curiosity making his steps light, and he hesitatingly ran his fingers over the case of what had to be a vintage turntable. Underneath was a cardboard box of carefully-stacked vinyl records. He slowly drew out the topmost one, running his eyes over the faded cover. The urge to fiddle around with the device and play something was maddening, but he had to remind himself that Kyuhyun needed rest and god, what if he broke it?

"You want to listen to one?"

Sungmin nearly dropped the record he was holding. He looked back with a sheepish smile at Kyuhyun, who was sitting up with the blanket tucked around his shoulders, hair rumpled, voice scratchy, and eyes still tired, but faintly amused.

"How do I?"

There was a thoughtful pause, then: "First of all, put that one back. Get out the one, um, third down. You'll know it." 

Sungmin did as he was told, sorting through the first couple of records until he found the one Kyuhyun was talking about. He recognized the album art immediately, had seen that image engraved in flashing silver time after time. Kyuhyun instructed him on how to play it on the turntable. Soft, crackling vinyl preceded the swell of music that followed.

"My mom's favorite," he explained, eyes closed again. 

Sungmin inched over until he was sitting back where'd been against the couch, listening to the soaring female voice weave foreign words together in an enchanting rhythm. _Sirens_ , he recalled, _their song lured sailors to their deaths when they crashed their ships against cliffs and rocks._ It didn't matter if the lyrics themselves described the mythology, the music was evocative enough. He could imagine the sound of waves as the song trailed to an end, leaving only the faint inhale and exhale of Kyuhyun's breathing. He wasn't asleep, stirring eventually with the lids of his eyes blinking slowly open, heavy at half-mast.

"Um." Sungmin tried not to squirm, awkward under that stare. "Do you want me to get you anything? Something to drink?"

"No." The blanket rustled as Kyuhyun shifted in place. "I'll be fine. You don't need to stay here and baby-sit me."

"I'm just— I'm worried." That was easy enough to admit; the worry had been constant ever since that one morning. Sungmin cleared his throat. "You took care of me, you know, before. When I was drunk. I can look out for you, too. I'm still your hyung."

It was the first time he'd actually mentioned that event, which might have been the wrong thing to do. The silence was continuous.

Sungmin was wondering whether an apology (warranted or not, he was too high-strung to care anymore) would make it better or worse when a hand suddenly came down to rest on his head, fingers mussing his hair in a familiar way.

"You're the worst hyung ever," Kyuhyun said, but there was no bite to the accusation. He only sounded impossibly tired, his voice rough and raspy. Sungmin could guess that not many people have heard him sound like that, and somehow the thought lifted him. 

"Shut up," Sungmin replied, affecting a pout. "Go back to sleep. Do you want to move to your bed?"

"No," Kyuhyun mumbled, already reclining back. "Here's fine."

Maybe it was just a really comfortable couch, though Sungmin eyed it skeptically. But if Kyuhyun insisted, there was nothing Sungmin could do. After a while the rise and fall of Kyuhyun's chest evened out, slow and steady, and Sungmin found himself matching his pace. The air eased in, then out. He shifted to rest his arms on the seat, pillowing his head there, face tilted to gaze up at Kyuhyun's peaceful features. Who else had watched him sleep like this? Perhaps it wouldn't matter anymore, though it shouldn't have mattered to begin with.

"I'm glad you're not quitting," he said at last, mostly to himself, so he was startled and a bit embarrassed to hear a response.

"Really?"

Sungmin frowned hard at him. "Stop pretending to sleep."

Kyuhyun cracked an eye open with lethargic disdain. "Maybe if you didn't make so much noise I could sleep for real. Make up your mind."

_You need to make up your mind._

Sungmin steadied his breathing, hoping that it would also steady the nervous tremble of his heart. Kyuhyun was watching him with both eyes half-lidded now, stubborn through his obvious drowsiness. Idiot boy really did need to rest.

"You know," Sungmin began, wetting his lips with anxious resolve. _If this is what it will take,_ he was thinking, metaphorically waving the white flag. "I thought I'd be happier if you did quit."

"Why's that?" He asked so lightly, as if it didn't concern him at all. Sungmin almost lost his nerve then, but drove on ahead with a sting of spite.

"Because you wear me out. Because you, you're impossible. And you ask for the impossible."

"Maybe," Kyuhyun said, but did not concede. "Maybe if you didn't get my hopes up like you're doing now."

If Sungmin wasn't already sitting down and leaning on the couch, he would have collapsed in defeat. As it was, he let his forehead drop onto his arm. His next words were muffled into the cushion. "That's why it would be better if you quit."

"But you're glad that I'm not."

"I don't know why since it's just going to drive me crazy. Seeing you with customers again. Touching them and singing for them and telling them—" His throat closed around the confession in reflex. Preservation instinct. It may as well have been in his genetic code.

"Telling them what?"

Sungmin exhaled softly. "Oh, you stubborn bastard."

"I have to be to deal with you."

" _And_ a total brat," Sungmin added, gradually raising his head and peering through his bangs at Kyuhyun's surprisingly unguarded face. That did it. Clamoring instinct be damned—Sungmin leaned up and over to put his lips by Kyuhyun's ear, breath tickling and making him twitch. Then there were the words, making him still.

#

Ten o'clock and Angela's was in full-swing. Saturday night was show night, and Donghae was doing his thing on stage, garnering no small amount of admiring and enthralled looks. Shindong was just slipping away to the back to prepare for his follow-up. From a nearby table Kangin called for a bottle of wine, top shelf, for a special lady, and Leeteuk was the one who brought it over with a perfect dimpling smile that didn't quite match his eyes. A typical weekend night.

Sungmin looked away, self-conscious and half-dizzy from the cloud of perfume that wafted from the woman to his right. Judging by her makeup and clothes, perfume wasn't the only thing she overcompensated with. He raised his glass to his lips automatically; it wouldn't help clear his senses, but minutes later he found that it was all right to lean his weight on Kyuhyun sitting to his left.

"Sorry," he heard Kyuhyun apologize to the table. "He's no good at drinking."

There was a chorus of "aww" and "how cute" from all around, and Sungmin didn't try to disguise the face he made.

"I don't point out any of your flaws in front of our esteemed guests," he said, playfully elbowing Kyuhyun's side. "Like how you used to be so bad at kissing."

"Hyung!" Kyuhyun protested, and the women laughed in mingled delight and disbelief.

"It's true," Sungmin caroled with a thrum of pleasure inside. Alcohol and the sound of Kyuhyun's laugh, unreserved, had that effect. "He was adorably shy at first, you should have seen it."

"But that's in the past," Kyuhyun defended himself. Then he added, with a very warm hand on Sungmin's knee, "I've had some practice since then."

Sungmin was warm and happy and a little bit drunk, so on a whim he decided to take a page from Heechul's book (as much as he might regret it later for whatever reason). He wound an arm around Kyuhyun's neck and brought their faces close together, smiling and flushed. 

"Better keep at it," he said, and Kyuhyun's lips curved against his in tacit agreement.


End file.
